The Great British Sewing Bee - Series 8 Episode 1

Posted by Josie on 29th Apr 2022

The Great British Sewing Bee is back with Series 8... In Episode 1 we were introduced to this year's contestants.

What an amazing bunch! There are lots of great dressmakers, with many of them looking at this early stage like they could go the whole way. Check out this Instagram post for a who's who and how to follow their journeys on social media.

The theme for week 1 was to build a capsule wardrobe. Starting with a mini skirt made from local British tweed, their skirts featured piped patch pockets and an exposed zip. The refashioning challenge was to make a going out top from loungewear, upcycling all those lockdown tracksuits into a fancy top. The final show stopper was the sewist's take on a classic wrap dress.

Below, I have pulled out my favourite patterns inspired by the challenges and the garments the contestants made.

Tweed mini skirt